...You in Your great mercies

did not forsake them

          in the wilderness.

The pillar of cloud to lead them

    in the way did not depart

    from them by day,

nor the pillar of fire by night

  to light for them

  the way which they should go.

                  Nehemiah 9. 19

(The wilderness

         is a place of wonder,

not of fear.

God does not just go before us.

He guides us

        through the unexpected

in the way we should go.

         Always with Him.

God is not about

       to abandon us now.

Realizing we cannot do it

                      on our own

is the first giant step

     into His great mercies.)

O LORD,

This very day,

this wilderness place,

this trail new to us

but not unknown to You,

    is holy to You.

Bind us to You

           and Your strength.

Align our hearts

             to Your joy.

Every day, O LORD,

every day is a sacred story

      of Your faithfulness.

And this wilderness

      is just a starting point

of Your majesty

     that we cannot yet see.

...for they perceived

that this work

     had been accomplished

with the help of our God.

              Nehemiah 6. 16

(That which

     only God can do

is very different

from what we accomplish

              on our own.

Different direction,

different journey,

  and way different outcome.

Others perceive,

but do we realize,

we could not do this

      without God's help?

Seeking God,

worshipping Him,

listening and responding,

changes more than

              we can know.

God strengthens us

and guides us in His way.

It does not mean

we will always be successful,

   but others are watching

   to see how we respond

            when we are not.

God's purposes always exceed

  the thin veneer of success.

What points others

           not to us

     but to God Almighty?

Faithfulness,

   no matter the outcome.)

O LORD,

May we seek You

in all that we do,

knowing not just

    that Your help is for the asking,

but You are already there,

     waiting on us.

It is not that You show up,

   but we are the ones

   late to the party.

Strengthen our hands, O God.

Take the discouragement and fear

     we were never meant to carry

                     or drag along,

and replace those

             with Your strength.

May others see You

    through how we respond

and the incredible things

                           You do.

Will they revive the stones

out of the heaps of rubbish,

and burned ones at that?

               Nehemiah 4. 2

(It is incredible 

      what God redeems.

It is astonishing 

       what God restores,

the visible 

      out of the invisible,

His glory

     from the impossible.

Jesus says,

     “What do you have?”

God doesn’t make do,

or add to it.

        God multiplies.

He does not provide just enough,

      or more than enough,

but just what we need

             to trust Him more.)

O LORD,

We can’t do everything,

but we can do something.

And that would be

         first of all,

give You our hearts,

an eagerness to follow You,

a listening ear

      and responsive hands.

Nothing but nothing

     is wasted in Your economy.

What have You

         placed before us today?

Not just rubbish 

        and discarded rocks,

but another  opportunity 

            to be faithful to You

and to see 

    what only You can do.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Now I was

   cupbearer to the king.

            Nehemiah 1. 11

(Make the absolute most

of where we are placed today

and be faithful to God

in all He calls us to do.

We are never aware

of how powerfully 

       God is using us

             for His glory.

We are strategically assigned,

no insignificant appointments 

          in God’s eyes.

Throughout the Bible,

God used mightily 

       those beneath the radar,

those who were faithful servants.)

O LORD,

Help us to lead the life

  You have assigned each of us

                 today,

our minds set to serve You in it,

our hearts set to be faithful,

ready and willing

     for any good work,

to respond to needs

and bring Your name to it.

All things are lawful,

   but not all things are helpful.

All things are lawful for me,

   but I will not 

       be enslaved by anything.

                1 Corinthians 6. 12

(Our freedom in Christ means

the strength to say yes

and the discernment to say no.

Knowing when to walk away,

to turn away,

to choose something else

        or a different direction.

It is not just that 

     God will make up for it,

but that choice will change 

      the course of our lives.

Or impact the wellbeing 

        of those around us

        or who comes after.

There is an old saying

   that our decisions reverberate    for seven generations,

        to bless others

        or to burden them.

Sin always promises 

     more than it can deliver.

Sin always says, 

          it doesn’t matter

          and no one will know.

But it always does.)

O LORD,

Thank You for Your Word.

Let it guide us in Your ways

  and take up residence 

  in our hearts and minds.

Our freedom to follow You

  empowers us to walk away

  from whatever enslaves us.

For Your glory.

For Your Kingdom.

In Your name.

    

   

   

The hand of our God

     was on us,

and He delivered us

  from the hand of the enemy 

and from ambushes 

                 by the way.

                   Ezra 8. 31

(What does it take for us

to acknowledge God 

and not credit ourselves?

Watching for,

recognizing,

acknowledging His Presence,

provision,

protection,

providence

changes what we do,

how we walk,

how we see the path before us,

how we know God,

how differently the journey,

     what could have been,

     and what comes of it.)

O LORD,

Despite circumstances,

help us to realize that

this momentary affliction 

is not disaster

          nor a distraction,

but revealing of Your presence

                 with us

and unfolding of Your purposes 

                 through us.

There is always something 

        monumental going on

that we are not even aware.

We just need to be faithful 

and know You are not

     about to abandon us now.

Help us, O LORD,

      to know You more.

This is how 

one should regard us,

as servants of Christ 

and stewards

   of the mysteries of God.

            1 Corinthians 4. 1

(We will not understand 

   the depths of His purposes,

but even in mystery,

serve Him

      and be known as His.

We cannot grasp the unknown,

     but it is not unknown to God,

who is sovereign,

even in this.

He holds us

      in the palm of His hand.

Our hope is in Whom

              we stake our lives,

not on favorable circumstances,

nor on our own understanding.)

O LORD,

We cannot see through

        the fog surrounding us,

nor grasp what You are doing

in these things 

           we cannot understand.

Reveal to us

     just the next step through

in Your power,

for Your glory,

that we may know You more.